If there’s a single, couple or family in your life who love to eat and drink delicious treats, why not give them the festive gift of food this year? While Christmas hampers may be the obvious choice, there are so many other options to suit all tastes and budgets too.
There are smaller food hampers and gift sets containing a set of one type of item, or those featuring a varied range of products. There is more gourmet food to sample than ever before, so whether you want a big gift or a smaller one this guide will help you find it.
Wine lovers can easily be catered for, too. There are plenty of opportunities to gift someone you know a case of their favourite wine – or to introduce them to some new ones. Forget cheese and wine hampers when you don’t even know if they’ll be home for Christmas – why not just cut straight to the chase with a wine themed gift?
We’ve tracked down and listed all the best food gifts, right here. As well as a few featuring drinks. So don’t go anywhere. Grab a glass or mug of your favourite (gourmet) beverage and relax while we help you find the perfect foodie gifts for all your friends and family.
The top Christmas gift food and drink options
To inspire your Christmas shopping this year – while removing a lot of the legwork – here are our top recommendations for the best food gifts Australia has.
A set of hot sauces
If someone you love likes all things spicy, then there are some great hot sauce sets out there to choose from. There’s a global hot sauce set for those who like to sample foods from all over the world, including Jamaican, Kenyan, Indian and even Egyptian hot sauces. With a dozen bottles containing 48g each, this present could flavour their food all year long.
There’s a touch of the gothic about a set of six hot sauces in skull bottles, described as ‘vicious and delicious’. Let them ‘feel the burn’ with mango habanero, extremely red, garlic del fueblo and more.
Truff gourmet hot sauces contain black or white truffle, as well as agave nectar, peppers, spices and habañero powder. This is the luxury option, and purchasers can choose between a set of three or an individual bottle. Various other sauces can be bought separately as well, such as Bunster’s Australian hot sauces or a storm trooper bottle of el diablo.
Click here to see a variety of hot sauce gift ideas
A case of wine
A case of wine always makes a top notch gift – unlike other presents, it will never go to waste, nor to the local op shop. You can opt for cases containing a dozen bottles of their favoured red or white wine, or go for a mixed selection in their white or red wine hamper.
The options vary widely. Choose a case of mystery cabernet merlot, for example, or opt for a box of their favourite shiraz. If you’re feeling adventurous, choose seasonal specials like a spring or summer selection of mixed reds or whites.
You can also order cases – such as the premium mixed wine dozen – containing both white and red wines. Or surprise someone with a box of mystery French brut or case of wines from the Barossa, McLaren or Clare Valleys or Margaret River in Western Australia.
Click here to view a range of wine case gifts
A personalised chopping board
Rather than a cheese hamper or trawling through a huge selection of cheese gift baskets trying to remember what sort they like, why not go for a personalised chopping board that they can serve cheese on? Or simply use when slicing bread if they prefer.
Various types can be personalised with the message of your choice, such as names, dates, occupation or something that’s meaningful to them. Pick between paddle shaped boards with a handle, large square chopping boards and more.
This makes a particularly good gift for those who cannot resist posting photos of their food on social media. An Instagrammer’s dream come true, as every photo can be ‘branded’ by placing food on the board with the name visible.
Click here to see a selection of personalised chopping boards
A jaffle maker
Who doesn’t love a toasted jaffle? They’re an Australian institution, yet many homes have yet to add a jaffle maker to their kitchen. Making this a great gift alternative to food gift sets and other edible or quaffable items.
You can buy jaffle makers for two or four people, and some can also be used to make waffles or other goodies. Making a jaffle rather than a cold sandwich makes any meal much more exciting, whether it’s filled with classic cheese and ham or a more gourmet combination.
The best options include the Breville Orginal 74 or Big One models. Tefal produce a sandwich and snack maker than can make all sorts of sweet and savoury treats using the plates owners can collect.
You could even opt for a red Russell Hobbs machine to match their kitchen, a Maverick jaffle iron for camping or a Sunbeam compact cafe grill.
Click here to see a great range of jaffle makers
Beer themed gifts
If beer is more their thing than wine, why not treat them to a beer gift? Options include a surprising range of products, from socks, t-shirts and glasses to stubby holders, bottle openers and chiller sticks. They can make really good food gifts for men – whether you want a stocking filler or bigger present.
Farmers and city slickers alike will be amused by the ‘Are you drunk?’ baseball cap that will keep their head cool all summer long – not just for Christmas. A pair of novelty socks instructing the reader to bring beer will also raise a chuckle. One pair even comes in its own beer can.
We also love the stylish Bay & Barrel stubby or bottle holder and the Stanley set comprising a 64 ounce ‘Growler’ with 4 stainless steel mugs. Perfect for outdoor types who love camping, fishing or sports.
Click here to view a range of beer gifts for men and women
Kitchen knives
A new knife might not be the first thing you would think of when it comes to food gift ideas – but how about a sharp knife – or a set – to go with that personalized charcuterie board you got them last year? Great knives really do have the power to transform the cooking experience, and some are seriously goood looking too.
Go Global with a set of three in their classic kitchen knife set, and it’s the Christmas gift that will last a lifetime. If you fancy something funkier, there’s a Cosmos set of six knives that will slice through many a fruit bouquet or cheese board delivery.
The boxed Damascus Chef Knife by Anvil and Hammer makes a really stylish gift, with its rosewood handle and part hammered metal finish. A set of steak knives makes a good present too – while every home with carnivores should have a set, many do not.
Click here to see a selection of kitchen knife gifts
Dining out in style
If they are the sort of people who really do already have everything, why not treat them to some kind of dining experience? Wherever they live and whatever their favourite cuisine, there’s sure to be something memorable out there.
From a gourmet breakfast in Fremantle to a three course Mexican meal in Balmain, there are lots of options to choose from. How about high tea in central Perth, a seafood stack in Rockingham or a cosy pub lunch in Port Melbourne?
This ideal can be especially effective if they have a special trip planned already. If you know they’re heading to the Gold Coast, buy them a gourmet experience in Southport, Surfer’s Paradise or Sanctuary Cove. Likewise, those going to South Australia would surely love a winery experience in the Barossa Valley or an Indian feast in Adelaide city centre.
Click here to see a choice of gourmet gift experiences
Food hampers
OK, so we had to cover food gift baskets sooner or later, right? If you think they make a predictable or dull gift, just take a look at what is out there. From Christmas food hampers to a set of gourmet treats from artisan producers in rural Victoria, there are plenty of interesting food hamper ideas.
Original Christmas hamper ideas we love include a Bailey’s Irish Cream hamper packed with sweet treats, T2 boxes containing a selection of herbal, black, fruit or green loose leaf teas or a sleek little set of storm trooper coffee syrups including hazelnut, vanilla and caramel flavours. Some of these smaller boxes make great Christmas food gifts to send across the country – or the world – too.
We also love The Food Purveyor’s gourmet food gifts, which include a Country Producer hamper and an Artisan Food Trail gift box. Or there’s a Scottish biscuit hamper with sweet and savoury treats plus mini jars of jam.
Click here to view a range of the best food gift baskets
Click here to read our detailed guide with a huge range of Christmas food hampers.
A fresh food delivery box
Looking for a vegan hamper, an alternative to fruit gift baskets or food gifts that can be delivered to their door? Then check out the Everyplate food subscription box range. Their plans are for two to six people, and include between three and six main meals per week. It’s like giving them healthy gift baskets, every week for as long as you like.
Each insulated food basket delivery will be sent direct to the recipient’s door and contains recipe cards as well as all the fresh ingredients they’ll need. There is no option for a single person – however they could chill or freeze the extra for later in the week or month, or eat it for lunch the next day.
The plans tend to be cheaper than others on the market and there’s no minimum commitment. There are 12 recipes each week, with typical options including healthy meals like Mexican bean nachos, Indian chicken, vegan curries or tasty pasta dishes.
Click here to find out more about Everyplate subscriptions
A musical kitchen timer
Say what? A musical kitchen timer? We’re not talking about a kitchen timer that plays a jolly tune when your food’s cooked. Rather, a kitchen gadget that becomes indispensible from the moment it’s set up in the kitchen.
An Echo Dot smart speaker with Alexa acts as the easiest ktichen timer to operate, ever. Just ask Alexa to ‘set a timer’ for your specified duration and this handy gadget will do the rest. Then you can request your favourite music be played while you chop, stir, mix and pour.
It brightens up even a dull weekday, when you’re trying to juggle preparing two different dinner options while making the packed lunches for the next day. The timer is ultra reliable, as Alexa will reply that she’s set it for you. As its mains powered, the batteries never run out either.
Click here to see the Amazon Echo Dot in a range of styles and colours
A picnic basket
Think about the traditional food hamper delivery a little differently by buying a picnic basket instead of looking at gourmet hampers. A well-chosen picnic basket will see a couple of family though years of casual outdoor meals. It’s the alternative to food gift boxes that just keeps on giving.
There are three main types to choose from. While the traditional wicker basket is ever-popular and really looks the part, some now prefer the picnic backpacks made by companies like Sunflora. Whichever you go for, it will usually contain all the cutlery and crockery required for successful, enjoyable al fresco dining. There are cooler style picnic bags to choose from too, which are shaped more like a classic tote.
Other extras may include a napkins, a picnic blanket or wine glasses. It does feel special, unpacking a picnic from a matching set for two or four. What better way to help them enjoy our fabulously sunny climate?
Click here to view a range of wicker, cooler and backpack picnic sets
What will you buy as a gift for the food lover in your life?
Hopefully this guide has got you thinking in coming up with some festive presents for the fans of good food and drink you know. Whether you pick a picnic basket, set of hot sauces, case of wine, sharp new knife or personalised cheese board, practical or edible christmas gifts for foodies are sure to help provide them with delicious treats for some time to come.
We also have dedicated gift articles to help you buy for a traveller or artist in your life, as well as a great guide to all the best Australian Christmas gifts.
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